X1900XT or 7900GT

[jtgameover]

(pretend i have an opteron 165 dual-core and 2x1GB DDR500 ram on the way)

i currently have a 1680x1050 Dell 2005FPW widescreen... can a 7900GT easily play today's games at full 1680x1050 resolution (i.e. oblivlion, battlefield 2)? what about 1600x1200 resolution? can i expect a 7900GT to comfortably play games two years from now? or should i spring for a 512mb X1900XT? those are kind of pricey, but i will spend the money if it's worth it. otherwise, i was thinking i'd get an eVGA 7900GT, keep it for two years, and then upgrade my GPU...

thanks.

 

[SpeedZealot369]

Personally I think the ATI is much more futureproof and will handle those resolutions for sure, but then again maybe you should just get 2x7900gt's... They consume same wattage as a single x1900xt as well, and will probably be the better choice (eventhough more expensive) since you can overclock both cards (and we all know how well they overclock) and even at stock they will outdo the x1900xt by a good amount. This way you can max out every single detail at those resolutions and keep framerates playable.

 

[OmniShinzui]

I have a Dell 2005FPW, eVGA 7900GT GPU, AMD X2 4400+ CPU, and 2x1GB DDR400 Ram. Heres my thoughts with the GPU and Oblivion (since i've been playing it the most lately).

Basically, with 4x Anti-Aliasing, High-Res everything (Blood/Water/ect), editing the INI File (ugrid=7, double trees, etc), and using the LOD Landscape Mod (which makes land look better), the outside (mind you OUTSIDE with Maxed and at 1680x1050), I get 20fps on average. Inside im not sure, if you want, next time I play, i'll turn fraps on to check (im sure its at least 40fps).

Like you, im waiting for the next-gen GPUs to come out. This is to last me till then. Also, eVGA has a step-up program where you can upgrade your gpu and pay the difference you paid. So, if you decide in 2 1/2 months you want to get a better GPU (7900GTX 512mb), pay another $180 (maybe less if they want to compete with teh x1900XT 512mb) to get a better card.

However, you said two years, so I might wanna spring for the x1900xt if you dont want to upgrade when the DX10 next-gen cards come out (Winter/Spring).

 

[JBT]

Agreed if you've got enough money get SLI'd 7900GT's if not the X1900XT should still be able to fit the bill. Though I don't know if in two years you will be able to play 1680x1050 with that..

 

[Extelleron]

X1900XT for $429 AR FTW!

 

[jtgameover]

i'm a n00b... what does FTW mean?

 

[nib95]

I'd personally go for a 7900 GT, grab a $25 VF700 or a $50 VF900, voltmod the thing, then OC it to past 7900 GTX speeds.
So for $325 you get near enough 7900 GTX performance (perhaps even better) for a lot less money.

If your not a fan of mods and so forth, the X1900 XT is the best choice.

 

[Aznguy1872]

For the win!!!!!!!!!

 

[GnomeCop]

just get the cheapest X1900Xt or 7900GT you can find, they are both solid cards.

 

[jtgameover]

from what i've read, the x1900xt is rather loud and gets hot, whereas the 7900gt is relatively cooler and quieter (but not as powerful, obviously).... and after reading about directX 10 cards, i am hesitating to get the biggest and best now... gahhh decisions, decisions, decisions. i was thinking of getting an SLI motherboard and a 7900GT now, and then adding another card in a year or two... but by then, we might have some crazy new technology...

between the X1900XT brands, what do people think is the best? i.e. powercolor, HIS, sapphire, connect3D....

 

[Extelleron]

Originally posted by: jtgameover
from what i've read, the x1900xt is rather loud and gets hot, whereas the 7900gt is relatively cooler and quieter (but not as powerful, obviously).... and after reading about directX 10 cards, i am hesitating to get the biggest and best now... gahhh decisions, decisions, decisions. i was thinking of getting an SLI motherboard and a 7900GT now, and then adding another card in a year or two... but by then, we might have some crazy new technology...

between the X1900XT brands, what do people think is the best? i.e. powercolor, HIS, sapphire, connect3D....

The HIS X1900XT for $429 After Rebate @ newegg is the best deal out there right now. For $100 more than the 7900GT, it's a no-brainer IMO.

 

[Azndude2190]

Get the 7900GT...consumes less energy.You can always run 2 in SLI

 

[jtgameover]

yea i am looking at the $429 newegg HIS X1900XT ... but there is a Sapphire X1900XT for the same price too... why would you choose HIS over sapphire? which one has better warranty?

 

[PMChris]

Actually, if you live in CA, going with Directron on your X1900XT will save you some more money.

ATI X1900XT $429 after rebate, no tax for CA, free ground shipping.

 

[Sonikku]

If you're considering a 7900GT, you should also at least consider a X1800XT for $289 IN STOCK at newegg. It performs about as good as a 7900GT for a little less.

 

[RussianSensation]

Without overclocking:
1. "bang for the buck" - x1800xt 256mb/512mb >>>> 7900GT

With overclocking 7900GT

I personally cant see how X1900XT will be more futureproof if you intend to keep it for 2 years. Both cards will be slow. Might as well get $289 X1800XT and then another $300 card in 1 year from now. If you are going to buy an aftermarket cooler for X1900XT it'll be $450. The performance difference between X1800XT and X1900XT in today's games is not that much, yet next $300 G80/R600 will destroy X1900XT in 1 year by a lot. Of course this option costs more money.

I'd personally get 7900GT and overclock the hell out of it. Even the basic ones get to 550/1600.

 

[Ika]

Yeah it really depends on how good your cooling is and how crazy you're willing to overclock your cards. If you plan to spend some good money on graphics card cooling, get the 7900GT. If you have a small case without much cooling, plan to use just the stock cooler, or are unwilling to overclock, x1900xt.

 

[bob4432]

for whta you want and the resolutions i would do the x1900xt for 429AR.